


A Disappearing Act (Done Poorly)

by OffshoreWriter



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: (dw - it doesn't go anywhere - Nadakhan is just Like That), HIGH SPEED CHASE SEQUENCE WOOOOOO, Mild Swearing, Mildly Suggestive Content, canon-compliant with Skybound I guess?, comments are HIGHLY appreciated - don't hold back, only near the end and not too graphic though, the whole timeline got deleted anyway so it ain't like it matters, this is the only thing I'm here to post, trigger: needles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:41:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27930934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OffshoreWriter/pseuds/OffshoreWriter
Summary: Immediately after being captured by the Sky Pirates, Nya takes her first (and probably only) opportunity for escape.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first work in this fandom, and it's probably going to be my last -I just needed to get this idea out. I was originally going to publish the whole thing at once, but I got impatient and the story got unreasonably long for such a weird little plot bunny.

“No. I am absolutely  _ not _ putting that on.” Nya’s hand drifts - subtly, she hopes - to her waistband. Absently, she pats her hip - good. The dart is still there, and she plans to keep it that way. If only he’d quit hounding her about that damn nightgown.  _ At least he hasn’t chained me to anything yet, _ she thinks bitterly.

Nadakhan glides a little closer to her, the black silk robe and nightgown that he’d offered her a few moments ago draped across one of his lower arms. Nya’s sure she would have tolerated the pajama set if he hadn’t put his disgusting hands on it. The flames in the cabin lanterns glint off of the rich gold embroidery along the hemline, contrasting with the harsh silver of his hook against the dark fabric.

“Your gi is soaked,” he says in a low voice, close enough to reach out and touch her. “I’m sure it’s uncomfortable. I will get some of my men to wash it for you; you can have it back tomorrow. At any rate, I don’t want that filthy seawater getting in my bed.” He reaches out one of his free hands to pluck a small piece of red kelp off of her shoulder armor, flicking it to the floor.

Nya steps back and lets out a laugh - a joyless one, more of a horrified choke, really. “And  _ I _ don’t want to get in your bed, either, so it looks like we’re gonna have to come up with something else.” Nya eyes the bundle of silk in his arms. “Preferably, something that doesn’t involve...  _ that _ .”

“I’m afraid we don’t have anywhere else to put you.  _ If _ I had a way to dry you off completely, I might not make you change out of that, but I don’t. Of course - “

“ - that just brings up the seawater problem again, yeah, whatever. You could fix that  _ real _ easy by just  _ not _ having me sleep with you, did you ever think of that?” Nya hisses, taking another wary step back. First Spinjitzu Master, she hopes she doesn’t look scared. That’s the last thing she needs right now.

Suddenly, he’s behind her, the robe set forgotten on the corner of the table and his lips uncomfortably close to her ear. “Ah, but I need to keep a  _ close _ eye on you, love,” he murmurs, brushing his hook low along her side. “I can’t do that if I throw you in the brig.” Nya stiffens - he’s on the wrong side to notice the poison hidden in her gi, but there isn’t much of a right side for him to be on in this case. As one of his other hands grazes the highest fastener on her gi, she abruptly steps forward and away from him, cutting off his touch.

“You’re telling me - on a ship of  _ this size _ , I mean, damn, this is bigger than the  _ Bounty _ \- you don’t have a single spare room you can clear out?” she snaps, incredulous. “I saw an awful lot of doors when you were dragging me up here a few minutes ago.”

Nadakhan lets out an exasperated sigh. As he drifts past her, heading for the wall near the end of his bed, Nya notices he looks absolutely exhausted, maybe even a little annoyed. She’s wearing him down.  _ Well, if it worked for Jay.. _ .

He reaches the wall, and Nya sees a small, shiny object on the wall near the map of Ninjago he’s got hanging up. That wall is covered in a variety of metal things, now that she’s looking at it properly - she vaguely noticed it the last time she was in here, but passed it off as decor. Clearly, that’s not what it is.  _ So what is it? _

“Truth be told, I expected something like this,” he says, fishing something out of his armor. At this angle, Nya can’t see it, but she hears the click of a lock being opened, and she realizes: the little thing next to the map is a doorknob. The other things on the wall are, she reasons, hinges, meaning that there’s some kind of door built into the wall. 

_ A holding cell, _ she thinks, _ but in the weirdest possible spot. _

Sure enough, he pushes the door backwards. It’s dark in that little room, and Nya doesn’t dare step closer, but she can make out a stream of moonlight illuminating what looks like the end of a bed. “That’s one heck of a place to put a holding cell,” she comments, leaning against the table. “Means our little issue is solved, though - just put me in there and don’t touch me unless you want a problem.”

“Hardly.” Without warning, he teleports to just a few steps away from her, the robe set back in his arms. “I’d hate to get seawater on that bed, either, and at any rate,” he says, leaning in close, “I think it’s high time you learned a little obedience. I’ll make you a deal. Change into this, let me go have your gi cleaned, and you can sleep alone tonight. You clearly need the rest.” Nadakhan reaches his upper hand to stroke Nya’s hair, and she stumbles backwards, bumping into the arm of the chair behind her. 

She’s trapped. Suddenly everything in the room looks threatening - the wood-paneled walls, the carved doors, the massive windows across the table from her - 

  
Wait.  _ Those windows open, _ Nya recalls - it’s how she’d broken out of the room last time she was in here to get to her friends on the deck.

An idea begins to form. More than an idea; this is a full-blown _scheme_. 

Nya swallows, then straightens up a little before speaking. She tries to keep her voice steady as she says, “I’ll make you a better offer.”

He raises an eyebrow and backs off a few inches, although the tips of his fingers are still  _ just _ brushing her hair. “I’m listening.”

Nya closes her eyes as she raises her hand out to her side, using her powers to draw the water out of her gi. It comes out in narrow, twisting streams that slink through the cool cabin air and surges into a ball above her hand. It’s about the size of a basketball, with a few odd pieces of kelp and other ocean debris (souvenirs of when Jay flung her out of the lighthouse that evening) swirling inside. Importantly, though, her gi is completely dry - and visibly cleaner. 

“We find somewhere for me to dump this water. That means I’m clean and dry, and you’ll have no problem with me sleeping in that weird little holding cell of yours.” For good measure, she draws the water out of her damp hair, adding it to the orb she’s got floating above her hand. Nadakhan’s fingertips tighten on a few strands as the wetness disappears, and he looks slightly surprised that she made good on her word.

Nya takes a deep breath before continuing. “ We won’t have to deal with each other until tomorrow, and we’ll both get a few hours’ rest, at least. As long as you don’t insist that I change, I’ll… cooperate.” She doesn’t want to say that last part, but she hopes that a concession - no matter how minor - will get Nadakhan to soften somewhat.

Apparently, her wager is correct. He sets the robe and nightgown set back on the table, the rich silk catching the lantern light in its folds, and rests his chin on his hook as he considers. There’s a tense moment of near-silence, broken only by the gentle rushing of the water in Nya’s hand. Nya watches as his eyes rove her body - revolting, to be sure, but at least he can see she’s dry from head to toe. She stays perfectly still, working over the next part of her plan in her head.

After what feels like the longest week of her life - longer than her time spent in the lighthouse, even - he nods. It’s a slow, deep movement that reminds Nya of a vulture settling on a branch. “I don’t ordinarily accept compromises, but you make a compelling case,” he says, pulling his hand away from her hair and gliding around the table to one of the windows.  _ Perfect,  _ she thinks. The massive window opens fluidly. Nya doesn’t move from her spot -  _ can’t look too eager about this _ , she remembers as she keeps a small smile from breaking her carefully guarded expression. Now she just needs to work fast.

Nya’s slightly startled when he teleports behind her again, and she flinches when she feels his grip settle on the back of her collar.  _ Okay, I still can work with this, _ she thinks as he guides her gently towards the open window.

Together, they step outside onto the little balcony. The wind’s gotten faster and colder now that they’re above the clouds, and the moon seems too bright. It’s miles better than being alone in a room with him.

She takes a single step closer to the edge, transferring the water orb to balance between both of her hands. Carefully, she leans forward, analyzing everything on deck.

_ Let’s see… pile of crates there, couple of barrels over there. If I manage to land on that workbench, I can vault myself over those two pirates sleeping by the cannon and toss myself straight over the -  _

Nadakhan’s grip tightens abruptly on the back of her collar, the fabric riding up closer to her throat. “I must warn you, love, don’t try anything or the deal’s off. Not that I’d mind, of course.“

“Yeah, I kinda figured.” Nya leans back slightly; his grip relaxes just a touch. The water gathered between her hands picks up in speed, sending tiny waves rippling across its surface as she scans the deck below her one more time.

_ It’s now or never, Nya _ , she thinks, preparing for her next move.

She chooses her next words very carefully (as she says them, she thinks Jay would be proud of the one-liner): “Just want to be sure I don’t  _ hit _ anyone with this.”

Without warning - not like he deserves one, anyway - Nya wrenches herself down and forward, successfully breaking Nadakhan’s grip on her collar. In the same movement, she whirls to face him and  _ slams _ the orb of water straight into his face.

While he’s sputtering and clawing salty kelp bits out of his eyes, Nya leaps off the deck. She lands, running, on the workbench she spotted earlier, and effortlessly vaults over a pair of dozing pirates near the base of the cannon along the edge of the deck.  From there, it’s a clear shot. Nya backflips over the edge, falling blindly through the pitch-black sky for the second time that night. Jay isn’t holding onto her this time, and she knows the fall is going to be much,  _ much _ longer. 

As she falls away from the  _ Keep _ , Nya hears Nadakhan screaming indistinct orders. She wastes no time blocking him out - forming her water dragon is the perfect volume, and she needs a faster escape vehicle, anyway.

As her dragon forms beneath her, all grace and silvery scales, Nya shoots straight down through the thick clouds.

As far as they're concerned, she’s _gone_.

* * *

As Nya settles into her dragon and dives toward the sea, it occurs to her that she has absolutely  _ no _ clue where she’s going. Back to the mainland would take her straight to Nadakhan’s destination, so that’s out of the question. 

The lighthouse? No - that would just be a repeat of the night’s battle, but with absolutely no tactical advantage this time around. Echo’s a pile of parts, Jay’s gone, and the lighthouse itself is a wreck that rivals this entire situation.

Nya wracks her brain, hoping for a third option. She finds one, and it’s certainly not appealing, but it’s better than staying on the  _ Keep _ .

_The Dark Island_ , she thinks, guiding her dragon low. As the sea spray mists against her face, she considers her options there. _Maybe there’s a spare Stone Warrior hanging around - ah, no, language barrier. Couldn’t get it to do anything even if I tried._ _The pirates’ traveling fleet is pretty small - if I hide well enough, I could make it a few days before they find me._

Nya glances up and over her shoulder. A few hundred yards behind her, she can just barely make out the  _ Keep’s _ shadow above the clouds. The distance between them isn’t enough. Nya spurs her dragon on and shoots ahead, gaining a few more yards, before weighing her other options.

_ If I hop myself up on Dark Matter  _ \- the thought makes her uncomfortable, but it beats getting married to the literal worst man she’s ever met -  _ I might be feral enough to take all of them on at once. Sure, I’d never be cured, but I’d probably be able to kill a few of them, and I’m sure he wouldn’t want to marry a literal zombie. Maybe if I shave off all of my hair first? There’s gotta be a discarded sword on the island, that oughta do the trick... _

A particularly high wave splashes her face, and Nya realizes her focus is fading as she brainstorms. She also realizes that her ideas are absolutely ridiculous. Who’s to say Nadakhan wouldn’t marry her even if she  _ was _ infused with literal evil?  _ Then again… he’s probably got some of it in his veins, _ she muses as she pulls her dragon up a few feet.  _ It would be an even better match. _

Frantically, Nya tries to figure out someplace -  _ any  _ place - that she can go. The waves below her rush, louder than her mind. That’s when a sobering thought hits her like the ocean spray:  _ I don’t have enough energy to keep this up all night, and they do. I don’t know where I’m going. I have no idea what they’re willing to throw at me to get me back, but they’re not just going to stop. _

She knows this isn’t a Jay-style pessimistic freakout session, either. Years of experience as the team’s informal tactician surge up, telling her one thing: she isn’t going to be able to pull this off.

Well. She hates to admit it, but she’s truly out of options. Deep down, in the same spot that knew she’d end up with Jay, Nya knows she’s going to end up back on the  _ Keep _ before the sun rises.

She squares her shoulders and grips the reins tighter, hunkering down for what’s going to be an especially bumpy ride.

_ Might as well give them one hell of a show. They thought Jay was tiresome, huh? _

_ Oh, I'll show them tiresome. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up: this chapter (right near the end) is where the needle trigger in the tags comes into play.

Nya likes to think she’s got the most common sense of anyone on her team. It’s gotten her this far, at least - she’s made all three of her wishes without rapidly aging, having her family history completely upended, or getting her soul sent to a pocket dimension. You  _ bet  _ she’s going to count that as a win. 

Of course, this plan of hers is a total dead end.  _ Do those cancel each other out? _ she wonders, letting go of her dragon’s reins for a moment to brush some hair out of her face.  _ Ugh, yeah, probably. _

There’s another little victory that resets the score to Nya 1, Pirates 0, though: the sea spray tonight is especially high. Considering that the pirates’ zeppelins run on open flames, it won’t bode well for them as long as she stays low to the water. It’s a stormy night - the waves are growing dangerously tall, but that just means the sea spray won’t calm down any time soon. 

Nya hears the  _ woosh _ ing of zeppelin jets, steadily getting louder. She cranes her head up and backwards just in time to see a few descending through the clouds towards her, tiny decks loaded with pirates.  _ Huh. Didn’t know that ship of fools could mobilize so quickly.  _ There’s no time to ruminate. Nya leans forward and speeds up again - not quite as fast as she could go, but still, she’s able to gain a pretty good lead.

They stay like this for a few minutes - Nya zipping through the sky, the frigid ocean wind smacking her hair against her face, and a trio of zeppelins trailing her. She half-notices the waves below her rising, pushing her upwards to avoid the churning sea, and she adapts. Flying as close as she dares to the raging water, Nya surges on.

It’s weirdly peaceful. Nya is in her element, after all, and she hasn’t moved this fast in a while. Despite the fact that she knows it’s pointless, it feels… good. She tries not to think about what’s going to happen after the pirates catch up (and catch up, they will) and takes a few deep breaths, enjoying the elemental power rushing through her body.  _ Pace yourself. Have fun with this while you’re able. _

Nya glances behind her; they’ve all gained speed and are  _ just _ a bit closer now. 

_ Okay, never mind about pacing yourself. _

She pushes herself to her top speed.

  
The clouds above her are thinner now, and the moonlight illuminates her fully. As it reflects off the waves, a shadow appears above her, eclipsing nearly all of the light. Nya risks a glance upwards - sure enough, it’s the  _ Keep _ , flying directly overhead. Surprisingly, it’s keeping pace with her.  _ No time to worry about that. _ Nya looks back ahead and fixes her eyes on the horizon line, determined not to stop.

Unfortunately, keeping her eyes forward only works to quell her anxiety for a few minutes. The waves begin pushing her even farther upwards - soon, she’s on the same plane as the zeppelins she saw earlier. Speaking of… where  _ are _ they?

Nya looks to her left.  _ Oh. That’s where they are, _ she thinks grimly as she spots one of the zeppelins closing in on her right _. _ A quick glance to her right confirms the same thing: another zeppelin is there, too, veering slightly towards her. Instinctively, Nya knows that the third one is directly behind her.  _ If I slow down, they’re going to catch me on the back one. But I can’t go any faster... they’re going to box me in. _

_ Getting caught is inevitable _ , Nya reminds herself.  _ The question is: does that happen now? _

There’s some shouting coming from the zeppelin on the right, and Nya glances back over at it, her knuckles going white around the reins. It’s dark, but the faint light from the flame illuminates the zeppelin’s deck enough for Nya to make out a handful of figures. All of them seem to be carrying various swords, glinting in the firelight, but the shine of a certain steel hook is enough to answer Nya’s question.

_ No, Nya, it doesn’t happen now.  _

_ You’re not going to let it. _

The zeppelins are rapidly closing in. Nya thinks fast. She can’t slow down or veer to either side, and she certainly doesn’t want to go up. She literally can’t go forward any more - she’s already flying at top speed - and, whoa, there’s a  _ fourth _ zeppelin coming straight at her from the front now that she hadn’t noticed before. 

So what does that leave her?

She knows. It’s not a great option, but she knows that it exists, and it’s the only option left.

_ Just go. _ Nya channels her energy, forms a raging bubble of water around her, and points her dragon straight down towards the water.

She holds her breath and prays as she dives.

* * *

As she breaks through the surface of the ocean, Nya lets out a joyful whoop. The water adjusts to hold her, as if saying,  _ Hey, welcome back.  _ She’s never tried flying underwater before, but it feels  _ so _ natural. She makes a mental note to do it more often once she actually gets freed. It’s the most fun she’s had in weeks, and she’s determined to savor it.

Nya knows the pirates can see her just under the surface - she’s not quite prepared to go much deeper, but they can’t reach her anyway. She glances up, and through the choppy surface of the water, she sees that they’re flying in a perfect rectangle formation, following her movement.

_ Let’s see. What would Jay do right about now? _

Right. Jay. Even though she won’t escape, it hits her that this little stunt of hers will buy him some more time. Ultimately, it’s going to be worth it no matter how she goes down.  _ How _ he’s going to use that extra time, Nya doesn’t know. She knows what kind of thing he’d do in this situation, though: cause as much confusion as humanly possible.

Nya doesn’t have the ability to pull lightning out of the sky and electrocute every last pirate, so she trains her gaze on the zeppelins above her and settles for the next best thing: a hard U-turn. She can practically hear brakes squealing as they slowly,  _ agonizingly _ turn their zeppelins around. By the time they’ve done a one-eighty and are ready to follow her again, she’s got a few hundred feet of a lead on them. She laughs out loud. They’ve caught up to her in just a few minutes, but what does it matter? She can just  _ do it again. _

  
And Nya does it again - and again, and again, and again. She loses track of how many U-turns and fakeouts she makes, but they follow every one faithfully, apparently hoping for her to pop back up like a dolphin and into their waiting armada. She no longer knows what direction she’s going, but it doesn’t matter. _I oughta lead wild goose chases more often._

It’s around this point when Nya looks up through the surface of the water. Whatever reservations the zeppelin pilots had about getting close to the sea are gone - the waves are choppier than ever, and the little blimps are practically surfing on them.

That gives her another idea. She knows her time is almost up - her energy is beginning to fade, and she’d rather not take her drowning lessons out here. 

_ Well, I guess it’s time for the finale. _

Nya takes a final deep breath before dissipating her dragon. Still wrapped in an air bubble and floating comfortably, Nya reaches out for the water around her, hoping to push it upwards in a tidal wave. She harnesses the energy around her, feeling every tiny current and riptide nearby, and begins to weave every strand into one decently big wave. 

It’s like playing with a ball of clay - the more Nya rolls this energy around, the smoother and higher she knows the wave will be. She might be about to fail, but at least it’s going to be a spectacular disaster. Surrender doesn’t suit her, and she’s about to make herself their problem.

Nya can feel the wave she’s creating, so  _ ready _ to roll up from the surface and take down a couple of pirates. It won’t be the biggest wave she’s ever made, but it’ll be enough. Enough to buy Jay  _ just _ a few more seconds. 

Enough to make it clear that getting caught was  _ her _ choice. 

Beaming with pride, Nya releases the wave.

What Nya doesn’t do, unfortunately, is get out of the way in time.

In her excitement, she’s made a rookie mistake and formed the wave directly _behind_ her. As soon as she releases all of her pent-up elemental energy, she’s swept up in a riptide so strong that her air bubble pops around her. Completely unprepared, the water takes Nya down _,_ then up, then _down_. Nya sinks so fast that she’s actually kind of impressed - it’s more like she’s falling through thin air than a cold, black ocean.

A rough undercurrent brings her back up, tossing her around like a beach ball on a windy day.  _ Okay, if I’d known the wave was going to do that, I would have done something a little less… theatrical, _ Nya thinks as the water batters her body. She’s able to form a small bubble around her mouth and suck in a new mouthful of air, but as quick as it comes, it vanishes. Holding her breath, she tries to stay calm as the undercurrents she’s woven together exact their revenge on the wrong target - her.

Eventually, the crushing force of the water subsides. Nya squints up through the salty water, noticing that the surface is a whole lot calmer now. Every part of her body hurts as she drifts upwards towards the moonlit surface. It’s a good hurt, though - like after a full team spar, or a successful day on the battlefield.

Her rise back to the surface is agonizingly slow compared to her high-speed chase, and despite what she knows is about to happen, Nya’s elated to be able to  _ breathe _ . She gasps, coughs out some seawater, and tries to regain her composure. Her heart is racing, pounding so fast she can’t even feel the individual beats, and she’s oddly dizzy.

Through a fog of leftover adrenaline, salty water dripping from her bangs, and pure tiredness, Nya discovers that all four zeppelins are… gone. There isn’t any debris floating on the water, so she assumes she failed to hit any of them.  _ Which means they’ve probably gone back up. _

Well, not like she’s got anything else to do - she’s waiting to either get picked up or for her energy to return so she can go for round two. Nya looks up, treading water. The  _ Keep  _ is floating way above her, with no clouds to block her view, and she can make out the tail end of a zeppelin landing on the lower deck.

She looks back down at the water and notices something strange - something orange - reflecting faintly off the water behind her, giving off a soft glow.

Nya turns and looks upwards, coming face-to-face with Nadakhan.

Nadakhan sighs. It’s not an irritated one this time, more... disappointed. “You just can’t keep your clothes dry to save your life, can you, Nya?” he asks, lingering on her name. The way he says it - the way his eyes bore straight into hers, the way he floats above the waves so smugly - disgusts her. Unease floods Nya’s body in freezing waves, snapping her out of her stupor.

“Master of Water,” she retorts. “It’s practically in the job description.” Just as she says it, a little wave comes up and smacks her in the face. Blinking seawater out of her eyes, Nya barely has time to notice Nadakhan floating around behind her, circling her like a shark.

  
“Well, isn’t that a shame?” he murmurs, so quietly she can hardly hear him. Nya feels his fingers slide under her collar, wringing a good deal of water from the fabric as he crushes it in his hand. Before she can reach back to pry his hand off, the collar tightens around her neck, and Nya chokes as he yanks her up and teleports them back onto the _Keep._

They’re there in an instant, and just when Nya thought she was fine, the disorientation from being tossed around by the waves comes back in full force. She’s dropped onto the deck, where she hits the wood with a low groan. Nya manages to prop herself up on her elbows, shaking with exhaustion and a tinge of panic. The pirates who grab her by the arms don’t let her get any further than that.

Instantly, she’s hauled up to a full sitting position, and they drag her backwards a few feet before shoving her, spine-first, against the side of a large crate. The two pirates flanking her press her arms down along her sides, their hands clamped around her shoulders and wrists.  _ Dammit. Not this again. _ Something heavy wraps around her ankles - she can’t see what, though. Nadakhan is suddenly directly in front of her, the smoke replacing his legs curling around her thighs in a rough approximation of kneeling and his hands lazily skimming her sides.

There is absolutely no way out, but Nya’s got just enough energy - and rage - for an encore.

In one swift movement, she twitches her hands. Palms facing the night sky, she uses her last shred of elemental energy to draw every last drop of water out of her hair and clothing. Three uniform orbs of water, swirling like the stormy ocean she was just pulled out of, form in the air around her head. She deftly aims them at Nadakhan and the two pirates pinning her to the crate before shooting at their faces with as much force as she can muster. All three cough and spit as the frigid water hits them, but they don’t let go.  _ Probably works better when you don’t do it twice in one night, _ she thinks sourly.

“So stubborn,” Nadakhan sneers, leaning in. “We’re going to need to do something about that.” He slides one of his hands behind her skull, weaving his fingers through her hair. His grasp clenches around the roots. Nya’s scalp flares with pain, and she lets out an involuntary cry. 

_ Why didn’t I see this coming? _ she thinks as Nadakhan gets a little closer, a cruel little grin spreading across his face.  _ I  _ knew _ this wasn’t going to work, so why do I feel so stupid right now? _ The small crowd of pirates behind him laughs, a grating sound that makes Nya want to scream. She doesn’t.

Behind Nadakhan, a female pirate steps forward. Nya recognizes her as Cyren, the one that dragged her out of the lighthouse basement that evening. She’d only heard Cyren speak a few words, but remembered her weirdly compelling voice, as well as another pirate asking Nadakhan why Cyren couldn’t just “sing ‘er to sleep so we don’t have to wrestle ‘er onto the ship.” 

Nya scoffs, hoping she doesn’t sound as terrified as she is. “What’s she going to do?  _ Sing  _ me unconscious?” Nya knows Cyren’s voice is enchanted, but come on - how long can that trance last? She’s made escape attempts from her assorted kidnappers under worse conditions before. Hell, she  _ just _ made one tonight. Singing is nothing compared to that.

Nadakhan chuckles and lifts Nya’s chin further upwards with the very tip of his hook. “Not quite,” he corrects her. Nya’s eyes dart between him and Cyren, fear beginning to build as the cold metal digs into her skin. “Cyren’s reputation as our most, ah,  _ calming _ musician might precede her, but she’s also one of the only people on board who knows how to work a syringe properly. And, well, you’re so willful that we’re not even sure her songs would work on you.” He shifts over slightly, making room for Cyren to kneel next to him.

Nya watches in horror as Cyren pulls a syringe and a vial of something - a sedative, judging by the tiny label - out of her chestplate. As Cyren silently begins to fill the syringe with the liquid, Nadakhan’s hook abruptly leaves her chin, and he untangles his fingers from her hair. Nya’s flash of relief evaporates quickly as Nadakhan grips her jaw and wrenches her head up and to the side, exposing her neck and pressing her cheek into the coarse wood of the crate. His other three arms press into her collarbone and chest, immobilizing her almost completely. 

It’s the most uncomfortable she’s ever been. Her hip is digging into the hard deck at an odd angle, and her hands are beginning to go numb with how tightly the pirates are clasping her wrists. What really bothers Nya is that she can’t see what Nadakhan and Cyren are doing from her position. She certainly hears and feels and  _ hates _ them, though, and she especially despises it when Nadakhan leans forward to press a light kiss against the curve of her jawbone. “Hold still, my dear,” he coos softly, his grip on her getting tighter. Nya shudders, the spot where his lips touched her going strangely hot. A different hand - Cyren’s, she guesses - brushes some of her hair away from her neck.  _ Remember, you did this for Jay _ , she reminds herself (if only to keep calm) _. This is giving him a little more time to do whatever he needs to do, and you’ll be glad for it later. _

One of the pirates pinning Nya’s arms makes eye contact as she’s forced to face him. He grins at her briefly before turning his gaze back to his captain. If Nya’s jaw wasn’t slammed shut by Nadakhan’s hand, she’d spit in his face - she’d spit in  _ all _ their faces - hell, if the water was a little closer and she wasn’t restrained, she’d make another tidal wave to rival the one that took down the Preeminent and wipe everyone clean over the side.

Instead, Nya settles for thrashing as hard as she can - one last fling before she’s inevitably knocked out. She doesn’t make much progress. There are too many hands on her, and she barely moves at all. Kicking is out of the question, too. Whatever’s wrapped around her ankles isn’t Vengestone (she’d know right away if it was), but it’s heavy enough that it feels like someone might as well be sitting on her legs. Her lower legs, anyway. Based on the way Nadakhan’s settled his weight on her thighs, she guesses he’s pretty satisfied with this.

Nya doesn’t have time to guess what’s actually on her ankles, though. A sharp sting at the side of her neck shocks her out of her thoughts, and she yelps as an icy needle slides into her vein. A few seconds of silence pass before it kicks in. Her body begins to buzz all over, and she registers every one of her muscles shutting down; her mind begins to slow, and a strange sense of bliss comes over her. Her eyes slide closed as her body goes completely slack. She just  _ barely _ feels Nadakhan release her upper body (only to catch her as she falls forward), but at this point, it’s too late to do anything about the way he’s cradling her. There are no more moves to make, and honestly? 

_ I’m glad I tried. _

Just before Nya slips completely out of consciousness, it feels like she’s still on her dragon - flying so high, so swiftly, so…

_  
As far as she’s concerned, they’re gone._

* * *

Whatever sedative Cyren used was a good one - it doesn't release Nya until the sun is just rising over the waters. Nya blinks, her vision bleary and her body heavier than ever, even though she can tell there are no chains around her ankles or pirates pinning her to a crate this time. Just warm bedsheets and a firm mattress - four arms, one ending in a cold hook, wrapped inflexibly around her shoulders and lower back - her head pillowed on a muscular arm - steel pressing through a silk nightgown to leave a cold, haunting sensation on her spine.

Before Nya has time to process all of those things separately, the drugs pull her right back down. As she sinks, she mentally blesses Cyren for using something long-acting. It’ll be easier for her to celebrate her glorious failure of an escape attempt if she’s not conscious of who she’s lying next to.

Right now, it’s all she has left, and - given the circumstances - she’s pretty pleased with herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope none of you are doctors out to criticize me, because that sedation scene was based off of two dubious sources (granted, they were the only two I had available that wouldn't put me on fifteen government watchlists):  
> 1\. 20 minutes of rabbit-hole research on Erowid, lying in bed at 11 PM, where the only thing I learned is that some people find certain sedatives WAY too much fun. (In all seriousness, Erowid is a really neat site! Lots of good info that I totally didn't use properly.)  
> 2\. My own experience with whatever they had me on during my wisdom tooth removal. Unlike what happens here, I woke up crying because I thought I was dead and the wall in front of me looked like it was made of sand.
> 
> All jokes about bad research aside - thanks for reading! Your comments and kudos mean a lot, especially since I wasn't expecting any reaction at all. Let me know what you thought of this, and even if I never upload another work, I'll read them all.

**Author's Note:**

> You know that scene in Spongebob where Sandy rips up an entire house? The one where there's a guy inside on a tricycle, and he says, "Uh, I can explain?" That's me. I'm the guy on the tricycle, and I have no way to explain this. It just happened. I guess I needed some kind of outlet from 2020, and I guess this is what I picked. It feels good to have created something, though.


End file.
